The invention relates generally to an ergonomic keyboard device suitable for use as data input means to information processing systems such as computer and telephone systems, and more particularly to a keyboard device comprising one or more one-hand modules which may be connected to a computer or telephone system by a data communication channel or which may be part of a hand-held computer or mobile telephone.
The extensive use of keyboards as preferred data input tools for information processing and communication systems such as personal computers, Internet terminals and telephone sets has initiated developments to improve the design of keyboards in order to make them better adapted to the human anatomy. Conventional flat keyboards are large and contain a plurality of keys arranged in parallel rows to which the positioning and movement of the operator""s hand and fingers have to be adapted. Such keyboards require large space which may present a problem when the keyboard is used in connection with a mobile device or is part of such a device. Using such keyboards, the fingers of the operator have to cover a relatively wide range for locating and actuating the desired keys. In the daily work at the keyboard which often lasts many hours of the day, an environment as provided by conventional keyboards burdens the user, may give rise to health problems and reduces productivity.
To avoid problems of this kind, efforts have been made to develop more ergonomic keyboards. U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,777 of Bequaert et al discloses a one-hand keyboard which comprises a finger section containing ten keys and a thumb section containing four keys. This keyboard is used to enter alphanumerical characters and special characters. In the finger section two keys are assigned to each finger. The keys assigned to a finger or to the thumb are operated individually or in parallel by depressing two or more keys simultaneously. By depressing several keys at once the operator forms chords somewhat as a pianist forms chords on a piano. The keys of the thumb section are used to enter numerals, special signs such as punctuation, and commands such as lowercase and uppercase, space etc. Control circuits are used to interpret the chords and emit electrical signals which represent strings of characters implied by the chords. The effective use of this keyboard requires a well-trained operator able to actuate the plurality of keys according to the desired chords and speed.
Another known one-hand keyboard is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,910 of Guyot-Sionnest. This keyboard provides a sequential operation of the keys by a movement of the finger tips over the keys which have a special profile to facilitate fluent work. In this manner three states may be defined by pairs of keys assigned to each finger, and five states may be defined by four keys assigned to the thumb. Accordingly, by simultaneous or parallel operation of the keys assigned to all fingers and to the thumb a large number of states can be defined which allow entry of a plurality of different alphanumeric characters, special signs or processing instructions. By means of an electronic circuitry connected to the keys the states of the keys are interpreted to generate electrical signals which are indicative for the characters or instructions entered.
Furthermore, an ergonomic two-hand keyboard is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,477 of Gambaro. In this keyboard the keys follow a profile which is adapted to the anatomy of the fingers of the user in order to allow operation of the keyboard by only slight gestural finger motions. The keyboard consists of a right-hand part and a left-hand part which are fixedly connected to each other. The fingers have assigned clusters of keys where the keys of each cluster are arranged closely adjacent to each other at different heights and in different angles. Each of the forefingers actuates a cluster of eight different keys which are distributed in two elongate rows. Other fingers have assigned clusters of four keys also distributed in elongate rows. This arrangement permits different regions adjacent a finger tip to actuate different keys, and different regions remote from the finger tip to actuate other keys. The rows are located in close proximity to each other and are arranged to allow for positional adjustment of the rows to adapt the keyboard to hands of different size. Each of the thumbs has assigned a cluster of keys located on a concave ground and actuated by lateral, forward and backward movements of the corresponding thumb within a given cone of motion. Each of both keyboard parts also contains a wrist, hand and palm support which comprises a mount-like portion located close to the finger clusters and a lower portion located close to the thumb cluster. These supports permit a motion free rest of the hands during the operation of the keyboard. Due to the large number of keys in the forefinger and thumb clusters this keyboard requires well-trained operators for an effective use of the keyboard.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved keyboard which comprises an ergonomic design by a closer adaptation to the anatomy of an operator""s hand and an arrangement of the keys which permits effective use of the keyboard after only a short training period and which permits an operation of the keyboard only by finger movements.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact and light weight keyboard which is suitable for use in connection with or as part of mobile devices.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a keyboard which facilitates its use in a blind manner i.e. the keyboard is suitable for being used while the operator concentrates on documents which contain data to be entered into the keyboard. This facilitates the use of the keyboard by blind persons.
According to a further object of the invention a keyboard is provided which may be adapted to be used as one-hand keyboard or as two-hand keyboard.
It is another object of the invention is to provide means which allow an easy adaptation of the keyboard to variations in the size of hands and fingers of different operators.
The keyboard according to the invention includes finger guide means which are formed by adjacent grooves, each of the grooves being arranged to accommodate a finger of an operator""s hand. A palm support section is located in front of the grooves and extends over the width of the grooves. A group of keys is sequentially arranged at the ground of the grooves to be reached by the outstretched or bent fingers when the operator""s hand rests on the palm support section. Thus, actuation of the keyboard is restricted to finger movements in forward and backward direction while the hand of the operator essentially remains in an unchanged position. A thumb section is preferably located adjacent to a groove assigned to the forefinger of an operator""s hand. The thumb section extends to an upright wall of the thumb section adjacent to the forefinger groove.
In one arrangement, at least one of said grooves comprises a cam which is located at the end of the groove adjacent to the palm support section and which is formed to permit holding the device by the tip of the bent finger. This feature permits a mobile use of the keyboard.
The keyboard according to the invention has the advantage that it is better adapted to the anatomy of an operator""s hand than conventional flat keyboards. The improved adaptation to the user helps to avoid health problems such as cramps of the hands, backache and tendon inflammations.